THE Georgetown-based Winifred Gaskin Memorial Secondary School on Tuesday walked away with the first-round win at the annual JOF Haynes Debating Competition, according to the education ministry in a press statement.

The debating team from the Georgetown-based school beat out Fort Wellington Secondary School, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) at the Latchmansingh Primary School Annex where the ministry-sponsored competition was launched.

The point debated was, “The rapid increase in private schooling in Guyana is an indictment of the public education system.”
Representing Winifred Gaskin Secondary were Crystal Smartt, Quincie Andrews and Masani Jordan. Jordan edged ahead of his team, which overall scored 268 points, to cop the Best Speaker prize.

The proposing team which was Fort Wellington Secondary, was represented by Christal Welch, Tejwattie Sirirampersaud and Basmattie Chrisendat. The team scored 244 points.
The competition was held virtually over the last two years in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Assistant Chief Education Officer with responsibility for Secondary Education, Tiffany Harvey.

Harvey, however, praised the return to face-to-face debating. Additional rounds of the JOF Haynes Debating Competition will be held across Guyana.
Also present at Tuesday’s event, the Ministry of Education noted, were Education Officers Lalchand Salik and Sheldon Granville.